Departing on the 12 of October 2013, Iglu are pleased to announce that Oz Clarke will be your special guest sommelier for a thirteen day Celebrity cruise around France, Spain and Portugal.
In a brilliant opportunity to be hosted and entertained by Britain’s premier wine critic, Clarke will run workshops, lectures and lead wine tasting events for the duration of the cruise. Enthusiastic about the prospect of the wine cruise, Oz Clarke told the blogger Captain Greybeard: "I can't wait to take my passion for wine to the high seas. Not only am I looking forward to learning more about the impressive wine selections, bars and restaurants from Celebrity Cruises, I'm also keen to talk to fine food and wine fans, share my knowledge... whilst having a great time onboard the ship. The chance to sail between some of Europe's best known wine regions, relaxing with a glass in hand, is just too good to turn down."
Oz Clarke is a hero among wine professionals for his informative approach to wine tasting. He is famous for encouraging the popularity of New World wines in the '80s and '90s and was allegedly banned from the Champagne region for suggesting the regional bubbly was becoming more expensive and less good.
The wine cruise special is onboard the newly refurbished Celebrity Infinity. Departing from Harwich, the first night of the cruise sails to Le Havre, the access point for the wine regions of France. The options for excursions in Northern France include a cheese tasting expedition to Pays d’Auge in Normandy, the home of Camembert, a romantic interlude Paris or a daytrip to the rolling hills of Champagne. The next port of call is Bordeaux, perhaps the most famous wine city of them all, with a chance to tour the vineyards of South-West France. Next the Infinity heads to Bilbao on the Basque coast, home of the stunning Guggenheim museum, with excursions to the Rioja region, before continuing around the Iberian coast to Portugal.
The newly modernized Celebrity Infinity has benefitted from a $140 million invested in the vessel, which now boasts updated décor throughout the ship, new bars and restaurants and an expanded art collection. The ship’s Cellar Masters bar is the perfect place to try some of your favourite wines discovered in the vineyards.
We are offering an astonishing deal on the Oz Clarke wine cruise and the other Celebrity wine cruises, with inside cabins available from £799 pp. Valid only until the 28th of February, Iglu are offering a free upgrade to the All Inclusive package, worth £400. We are also paying half the gratuities if you pre-pay them at the time of booking.
Written by Bernard Goyder
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